Toilet seat adapter for infants



W. A. INMAN TOILET SEAT ADAPTER FOR INFANTS April 27, 1954 Filed July17, 1950 Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT.

Walter A. Inman; Waukegan Baby" corporation of Illinois Application July17, 1950, Serial NolllLZS'G 1-. Claim.v (Cl; 4-239l This inventionrelates to improvements in a toilet seat adaptor for infants, theinvention being highly desirable for association with the ordinary adulttoilet bowl and seat to render the adult seat readily usable by aninfant, although the invention may have other uses and purposes as willbe apparent to one skilled in the art.

The instant invention is an improvement upon the toilet seat adaptor setforth, described and claimed in my copending application for patent,filed February 23,1950, Serial No. 145,678.

Heretofore, insofar as I am aware, infant toilet seats, and toilet seatadaptors for infants, have been made either with a back and sometimesside armspermanently attached to the adaptor seat, or'without any-backwhatever. It frequently happens that it is desirable to provide a backwith holding means for a very young child, and such back is not neededor desired after the child reaches an age of stability but before thechild cando' without anadaptor. At thesame time no previous toilet seatof which I am aware could provide an adaptor equipped with a backcapable of giving the desired psychological efi'ect of leadingthe-childto believe it is using the same apparatus and in the same way as anyadult would use it.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instantinvention to provide a toilet seat adaptor for infants having aselectively removable back, whereby the back may be removed at any timedesired, and the adaptor thereafter utilized Without the back as theinfant continues to grow.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a toilet'seat adapterfor infants constructed for disposition on a toilet bowl beneath thecustomary adult seat pivotally connected to the bowl, the adaptor beingprovidedwith a back sized to project through the opening in the adultseat and permit the raising and lowering of the adult seat while theadaptor equipped with the back remains in position on the rim of thebowl.

A. further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a toiletseat adaptor for infants in the general formation of a plate-likestructure having a raised central portion designed to project upwardlythrough the opening in an adult toilet seat when the adaptor is disposedtherebeneath, the adaptor having a ourvate back removablyconnectedthereto around the rear of the elevated portion, both the back andelevated portion entering the opening in the'adult toiletseat.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of atoilet seat adaptor for infants,

Waukegan, 111., assignor to Seat 00., Waukegan, IlL, a

H equipped with-aremovableback;whleh pack may beremoved"and discardedanytime desired, witli+ out detracting from: the 'apperance of the re-'mainder of" the adaptor, which "is thereupon usable as'long asdesiredwithout the back.

It'is also afeatu're of this." invention to provide, a toilet seatadaptor for infants eq-uipped with a removablebackand positionableonthestandard bathroom toilet bowl" without tlieneed' "of anysecuring'meanswhatever; no parts-Qf the device being capableof'marringeit "er the toilet bowl or the adult seat pivoted thereto:

Still a further-feature'of theinvention'resides in the provision ofatoilet seat adaptor embodying a plate-like structure having a centralelevated portion to project upwardly'through the opening in an adulttoilet seat, when'the' devicejis, disposed therebelow, the plate-likestructure also being provided with an upwardly projectingback disposedaround the rear-part of the elevated' portion to also project through'theopening inan adult toilet seat, so thatthegeneraloverall'appearancewith theadult toilet seat lowered isthat the back of the adaptor is "ineffect a portion cf-"t'he adult toilet seat, while the elevatedportionof the adaptor cooperates with theadultitoilet seatto provide aseat-for'achildi While some of the moresalientfeatures; characteristicsand advantages of the instant invention have been abovepoint'edout,0thers-wili'become apparent from the following disclosures, taken inconjunction with the accompanying; drawing, in which- Figure 1 is'afragmentary topplan 'view of a standard or usualtoilet bowl and seatequipped with an adaptor-embodying-principles of-th'e-instant invention;

- Figure 2 is a bottom plan view' of'the adaptor alone; and

Figure 3 is an: enlarged fragmentary "vertical sectional view taken;substantiallyas indicated by the line III-III' of Fig. 1, looking inthedirection of the arrows.

As shown on "the drawings:

The illustrated embodiment-of the instant in vention, as viewedin Figs.1 and 3, is'shown asso;- ciated with a commonly known form of' toiletassembly including abowli I of porcelainor otherv suitable materialhaving 'anenlarged rim. 2. at the top thereof. Anj'adult, toilet. seatShavingthe customary central opening 4 therein. isipivoted to the bowlas generally indicatediatiii,

The adaptor itself, in the illustrated embodi ment, embodies aplate-like structure having an elevated central portion 6 with a.substantially flat top surface, and which curves inwardly to define acentral opening 1. Projecting laterally from this central portion is aplurality of flanges including a rear flange 8, a pair of side flanges9-9, and a forward flange 10, giving the entire structure the generalappearance of a Greek cross. This plate-like structure may be made ofany suitable material, and can readily be molded in a single piece froma suitable thermosetting plastic in any desirable color. If so desired,it could be stamped out of sheet metal and enameled as desired.

On the underside of the aforesaid flanges one or more depending ribs llmay be provided integrally with the respective flange. Preferably theforward flange l adjacent the elevated central portion 6 is providedwith a series of apertures l2 therethrough to serve as suitable drainopenings in the event the child urinates on the upper portion of theadaptor or the adult seat 3. This forward flange 10 may also be providedwith a suitable aperture l3 to facilitate hanging up the adaptor whenthe same is not in use.

A removable back M of proper curvature to extend around the rear part ofthe elevated portion 6 is provided, and this back may readily be made ofsheet metal and enameled in keeping or in contrast to the aforesaidplate-like structure. Preferably immediately adjacent the elevatedportion 6, the plate-like structure is provided with a plurality ofslots l5 therethrough and a depending tongue l6 integral with the back14 extends downwardly through each slot and is laterally bent as seenclearly in Figs. 2 and 3 to mount the back on the plate-like structure.When it is desired to remove the back, it is a simple expedient tostraighten the tongues 16 and lift the cover from the plate-like member.The slots in the plate-like member will be relatively unnoticeable, andthe removal of the cover will not detract in the slightest degree fromthe pleasing appearance of the plate-like member.

The back may be provided with several spaced vertical slots in the wallthereof through which a suitable strap-like element I8 may be threaded,the free ends of which may be secured in a known manner to retain asmall child properly on the seat provided by the elevated portion 6 ofthe adaptor. To further add to the comfort of the child, the upper edgeportion of the back is preferably covered with a yieldable material asindicated at 19, which material may satisfactorily be made of rubber orthe equivalent.

In use, the instant invention is extremely simple and highlysatisfactory. It is simply necessary to raise the adult seat, and placethe adaptor flatly on the rim 2 of the toilet bowl. The flanges of theadaptor with their depending ribs will rest upon the upper surface ofthe bowl rim, and if so desired a rear flange 6 may be of sufiicientlength to project between the vertical post supporting the adult seathinge. After positioning the adaptor, the adult seat is lowered, and itwill be noted that the back I4 is sized to fit within the opening 4 ofthe adult seat, and the side edges of this back are turned sharplydownwardly so as not to interfere in any manner with the pivotalmovement of the adult seat. The adult seat will come to rest in theusual manner on its rubber bumpers on the rim of the bowl, and therubber bumpers will obviously be disposed between the forward flange andthe side flanges of the adaptor. The elevated portion 6 of the adaptorprojects upwardly and rather intimately within the opening 4 in theadult seat so that it will cooperate with the adult seat to provide aseat for a child. Thus, there is nothing whatever associated with theadaptor to in any manner mar or deface any part of the regular toiletassembly. When it is desired to remove the adaptor, it is a simpleexpedient to elevate the adult seat 3, and merely lift the adaptor offthe rim of the bowl.

One of the major advantages of the instant invention is the fact thatthe adaptor may be utilized from the time the child is first able tooccupy atoilet seat until the child has reached the age where it doesnot any longer need an auxiliary device. When the child is extremelyyoung, it may be held in position with the aid of the back 14 and strap[8. Later, as the child continues to grow, the back may be readilyremoved and the adaptor utilized without it until the child reaches theage where it can use the adult seat.

Further, the adaptor has the desired psychological effect on the mind ofthe child, in that the child realizes that it is utilizing an adultstructure in substantially the way that structure is used by an adult.Thus, the childs normal inclination for imitation is advantageouslypampered, its desires to act like an adult are gratified, and theperformance of the childs natural function as well as its training inrespect thereto are greatly enhanced. In addition, it might be mentionedthat the device is extremely pleasing in appearance, high'iy durable,and may be very economi caily manuiactured.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be efiectedWithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention.

I claim as my invention:

In a toilet seat adaptor for infants, a plate-like structure for freedispostion on the rim of a toilet bowl, an elevated intermediate portionon said structure defining an opening and functioning as a seat for achild, said portion being of a size to fit within the opening of anadult toilet seat hinged to the bowl, said structure having a pluralityof spaced slots therein adjacent said portion, a back attach d to saidstructure to intimately embrace substantially the rear half of saidelevated portion, the side edges of said back dropping downwardly toterminate adjacent the transverse median line of said elevated portionwhereby the adult seat may be raised and lowered over the structure andback, and said back having tongues depending therefrom through saidslots and laterally bent under said structure to removably mount saidback on said structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

